This invention relates to self-propelled swimming pool cleaners.
Prior to November 1989, Mr. Pavel Sebor conceived of and built prototypes for a swimming pool cleaner having a motor using a vibratory oscillator. In November 1989 at Orlando, Fla. Mr. Sebor disclosed his vibratory oscillator pool cleaner prototypes to Mr. Dieter Rief in confidence and granted to Mr. Rief certain rights to develop the vibratory motor into a working device. Mr. Sebor and Mr. Rief entered into a related written agreement on Sept. 10, 1990.
Between November 1989 and November 1990, Mr. Rief built approximately 20-30 prototypes of swimming pool cleaners using Mr. Sebor's vibratory oscillator motor. In December, 1990 in Orlando, Mr. Rief disclosed in confidence one of his later prototypes to a prospective manufacturer. While Mr. Rief's prototypes at that time cleaned certain areas of a swimming pool into which it was placed, the prototypes were unable to consistently move from the deep end of the pool to the shallow end, and were unable to climb from the bottom of the pool onto a vertical wall. Representatives of the prospective manufacturer explained to Mr. Rief that these technical deficiencies would preclude the design of these prototypes from becoming a commercially viable pool cleaner.
Mr. Rief's later prototypes also suffered from an inability to be self-starting under all circumstances, and would frequently become jammed with the leaves or grit often found in swimming pools.
This patent is directed to certain technical improvements developed by Mr. Sebor to solve the problems noted above with respect to the self-starting and jamming difficulties of swimming pool cleaners using Mr. Sebor's vibratory oscillator design.